Ramos re-injures hamstring, Gonzalez dealing with tight back

The Nationals picked up their fourth straight win with tonight’s 4-2 victory over the Giants, but they suffered a loss, as well.

Catcher Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring, which has already twice landed him on the disabled list this season, during tonight’s game. The good news is that this time, the hamstring doesn’t appear to be severely strained, but manager Davey Johnson said that Ramos will be sidelined for the time being.

“He re-injured, not too bad, but it’s the same time on that same left hamstring,” Johnson said. “Obviously, they think he might be day-to-day. But we’ll have to see. I doubt if he’s available tomorrow.”

Ramos suffered the injury when running out an RBI groundout in the fourth inning. He hustled down the line and was seen on the MASN broadcast stretching his hamstring in the dugout after the play.

Ramos initially injured the hamstring April 13 and missed 14 games that time around. He then suffered a more severe strain of the hamstring May 15, and needed to miss 44 games before returning on July 4.

Since his return, Ramos has been very productive offensively, batting .309 with five homers and 22 RBIs in 27 games. While the injury itself might not be too severe, the fact that it’s the same issue that keeps popping up will likely give the Nats a little pause before putting Ramos back in the lineup.

“It’s the same leg, third time on the same leg, so we’re a little concerned about it,” Johnson said. “But Dr. Wiemi (Douoguih, medical director) didn’t think it was a bad (injury). (Head athletic trainer) Lee Kuntz said he’d be day-to-day. So that’s hopefully good news. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Meanwhile, Gio Gonzalez started feeling some tightness in his lower back during the early innings of tonight’s game, but the lefty says he doesn’t expect the back to affect him his next time out.

Gonzalez said he felt the back grab on him early on, but he felt the discomfort subside as the night went on.

“(I feel) a lot better,” Gonzalez said after the game. “As the innings went on, my back started getting a little loose. Other than that, it tightened up a little bit in the second inning, but after that it got loose and I was ready to go. But then the rain came.

“It was a little uncomfortable in the beginning, but after the fourth inning it was getting loose enough for me to get the extension and try to pound the strike zone. I think that was a tough thing especially when the rain comes.”

Gonzalez said he wanted to keep pitching after the 77-minute rain delay, but Johnson (who was under the impression that Gonzalez had initially tweaked the back when swinging during his previous start) said no way.

“He still threw the ball good for somebody way under the weather,” Johnson said. “He wanted to go back out there if (the delay) was only like 45 minutes, but once it was going to be over an hour, there was no chance with a tight back. I don’t care how much you throw in the cages. It’s not going to help. I’m not going to take a chance on hurting his arm. So he should be fine coming back.”